The Minnesota State Patrol released alarming data about the number of people who do not obey the stop arm law.
To highlight the dangers, officials released a video showing a Zumbrota-Mazeppa Elementary School fourth-grader almost being hit by a car that did not stop when the lights and arm on the school bus were down. The 20-year-old driver was charged and convicted in Wabasha County and ordered to pay a fine.
The little girl's father, Pat Johnson, talked about what it was like to see the video.
"It's very hard to look at," he said. "Your heart stops, you sink, you feel sick."
The bus driver, Jim Perrotti, was emotional recounting the near-miss.
"I was waiting..." he said before a long pause to collect himself. "I figured she would be splashed on the windshield."
The State Patrol says in the last five years, more than 6,500 citations have been handed out, but the numbers have decreased each year.
State law requires all vehicles to stop for school buses when the bus driver activates the flashing lights and has the crossing arm fully extended. Violators face a $500 fine or possible criminal charges for passing a school bus on the right, passing when a child is outside the bus, or injuring or killing a child.
Drivers must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus that is displaying red flashing lights or a stop arm when approaching from the rear and from the opposite direction. Motorists should slow down, pay attention and anticipate school children and buses, especially in neighborhoods and school zones.
Troopers say to put distractions away and slow down, anticipating children coming on or off the bus.